Brooding-coop.



' P. G. TOWNSEND.

BROODING COOP. APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 11, 190a.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

q vi in use:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER G. TOWNSEND, OF HUTCHINSON, KANSAS.

BROODING-GOOP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER G. TOWNSEND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hutchinson, in the county of Reno and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Brooding-Coop, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to brooding coops, and has for its object to provide a coop for the use of brooding poultry, and which shall be safe and clean, and prevent any of the brood from leaving the mother hen. The coop is so constructed that it may be readily opened for cleaning. In connection with the coop is a wire inclosure within which the chicks may run for exercise while the hen remains in the coop. The coop is thoroughly ventilated and is provided with a door through Which the hen may pass and a smaller door in the large one for the use of the chickens only.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the coop and its attending wire inclosure. Fig. 2 afront elevation of the coop, and Fig. 3 a cross sectional View of the coop on the line 33 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the drawing, 1 indicates the bottom of the coop which may be made of wood as shown in the drawing, or of stamped sheet metal. In either case the base has its outer edges 2 on all four sides slightly lower than the rest of the base. Supported on the aforesaid depressed edges 2 is the coop 3 made preferably of sheet metal, semi-circular or of other suitable form in cross section and closed at its ends by a front plate 4 and a rear plate 5. At the u per end of each plate is a window, coverec with a screen 6 of wire and protected from rain by an inclined shield 7. An opening 8 is made in the front plate 4 through which the hen may pass into the coop there being a door 9 hinged vertically on the outside of the plate and in the center thereof for holding the hen in the coop. The door has a rod 10 thereon and projecting slightly there-beyond in position to be engaged by a hook 11 when the door is closed and by a second hook 12 when the door is open.

A ventilating window is made through the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 11, 1908.

Patented Aug. 2 1, 1909. Serial No. 452,641.

upper part of the door 9 and is covered with a wire screen 13, there being a blind 14 hinged horizontally above the Window and designed to be closed there-across. A hook 15 pivotally connected to the blind holds the latter at diiferent inclinations by engaging the free end of the hook in one or another of the holes 16 in a strip 17 fastened to the front of the coop.

Through the lower end of the door 9 is a relatively small opening 18 for the chickens to pass through. This opening may be closed by a door 19 slightly larger than the opening and vertically pivoted on the inner side of the door 9. Attention is called to the fact that the door 9 extends below the bottom of the opening 8 as does the small door 19. It will therefore be seen that when the large door 9 is closed the small door 19 must remain closed or opened until the larger door 9 is once more swung open.

The coop 3 is attached to the base 1 at the rear by a hinge 20 and at the front by a hook or other means 21 so that when disengaged at the front, the coop may be raised from the base by simply turning it up, wholly eXposing its interior for the purpose of cleaning. Two perches 22 extend longitudinally of the coop and are supported in any convenient manner on the end plates 1 and 5.

In front of the coop and abutting against it is an inclosure 23 made of wire netting of any desired length and having the same shape in cross section as the coop. The inner end of the inclosure is open to admit the brood but its outer end is closed to prevent the chickens from Wandering.

The operation of the coop is so simple that a further detailed explanation is deemed unnecessary.

. What is claimed is l. A coop having an opening in one Wall thereof, a main door for closing said opening, means for locking the door in open or closed position, there being an opening within said door, a secondary door mounted upon the first mentioned door for closing the opening therein, the main door and the coop cooperating to hold the secondary door against movement when said main door is locked in closed position.

2. A coop having an opening in one wall thereof, an outwardly moving main door upon the coop for closing said opening, said door having an opening therein, a secondary door movably mounted upon the main door for closing the opening in said door, and means for locking the main door in open and in closed position, said main door and the coop cooperating to hold the secondary door against movement when the main door is closed.

3. A coop comprising a base, a box hingedly connected thereto and having an opening in one wall thereof, means for locking the box against movement relative to the base, an inclosure extending from the box and communicating with the interior thereof through the opening, a main door movably connected to the box, and having an opening therein, and an auxiliary door movably mounted upon the main door for closing said opening in the main door, said auxiliary door being held against movement by the main door when shut.

4. The combination with. a structure having an opening therein of a hinged main door for closing said opening, said main door having an opening therein, a secondary door hingedly mounted upon the main door for closing the opening in said main door, said main door being disposed, when closed, to

lock the secondary door in either open or closed position.

5. A brooding coop comprising a box having a hinged base and an opening in one end, a door hinged on said end in the center thereof adapted to swing to one side and close said opening, and to the opposite side against the end, said door having an opening therein, a locking means on each side of the coop for holding said. door in either position, and a smaller door hin ed on the inner side of large door for closing tire opening in said large door and held closed or open by closing the large door.

6. A broodin coop comprising a base, a box hinged to a ase and means for fastening it thereto, one end of said coop having an opening therethrough adapted to be closed by a vertically hinged door having an opening, means on each side of said coop to look base hinged to the rear of the box and separably connected by a fastening means at the other end of said box, each end of the coop having a screened ventilating opening at the top thereof and a larger opening through the front end, a vertically hinged door on the outside of the front end adapted to close the opening therein and provided with a small opening near its lower end and a screened opening near its upper end, a blind horizontally hinged to said door to close the screened opening and means for holding the blind at different elevation, a smaller door for closing the lower opening in the large door and longitudinal perches in said coop.

8. A brooding coop comprising a base, a box pivoted at its rear end to the base, fastening means on the front end of the coop to detachably secure it to said base, said front end having an opening a pair of longitudinal perches in said coop, a door hinged to the front end of said coop to close said opening and extending downwardly nearly to the bottom of said end, said door having a small opening and a screened opening, a small door hinged to the larger door to close said small opening and extending below the same, and a blind pivoted horizontally to the top of the larger door for closing the screened opening therein.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature.

in the presence of two witnesses.

PETER G. TOWNSEND. Witnesses FRANK M. JORDAN, EDWARD F. DUKE. 

